Diablo II : Shl'rac, City of the Dead
by Mirith
Summary: Necromancers


_**Shrl'rac – City of the Dead**_

Saqqri'lak strode purposefully forward, fiercely bursting open another pair of metal doors as he methodically made his way towards the council room. The bone-clad man's obsidian eyes were dark and colourless, yet shone with the fury which burned within them. Behind him were his few followers, who moved their creaking bones tirelessly and with a contrasted lack of emotion, the only purpose of their unlife to serve the biddings of their master.

All of the dimly-lit corridors through which Saqqri'lak walked were desolated; the keep of Shrl'rac City seemed to have become growingly more deserted ever since Vnezeer had attained the head position of the Council. Who did the audacious and young Vnezeer think he was? He might have easily impressed the Elders with his cantrips, but he was merely a young Fetish without intellect or wisdom. How foolishly he has violated the sacred decrees by meddling senselessly in the affairs of the _phyls_.

The Elder necromancer reached the doorway to the Council Hall, his passage barred by the crossed swords of the two skeleton warriors of Vnezeer.

"Move assside and let me passs." His low, hissing undertone crawled with a venomous dire threat if his demand was not satisfied.

Undead, thoughtless and single-minded, the warriors who had been commanded to obstruct the entry of anyone into the Council Hall were oblivious to their impending fate. Saqqri'lak raised a black gloved hand and gripped the air before him and savagely jerked his fist to one side. The skeleton warrior to his left exploded into fragments and pieces of bone as an unseen supernatural force crushed its brittle ribcage and flung the skeletal construct against the natural cave wall.

The remaining warrior moved jerkily in raising its sword to attack. Its efforts were futile as its skull was split and spine broken under the bashing of the necromancer's steel bracers.

The audience within the Hall turned silently towards the interruption by the doors slamming open and Saqqri'lak striding within.

"How dare you exclude an Elder from this meeting!" The new arrival's finger pointed accusingly at Vnezeer who stood surrounded by the fellow Elders.

"Why it isss you Sssaqqri'lak! For what do we have the pleasssure of your company?" the youthful leader's voice was insinuous and mocking.

Saqqri'lak looked towards his black-clad breathen for support, only to be met with blank, curious gazes. What was going on? Was Vnezeer subverting them all against him? He glanced hopefully towards Mischel'lak, who was a close friend and she had given him a subtle wink of support the last time he had heatedly confronted Vnezeer about his decisions. But now, Mischel'lak dashed his hopes with her emotionless glassy-eyed stare.

"I have no pleasure in exposing your interferences in the meddlings of the _phyls_! I have reports of your warriors' activities within and around the fringe of Kurast! You have broken the ancient decrees! Seize him!"

The room was silent, and the Elders all remained still, staring at Saqqri'lak impassively. Saqqri'lak was dismayed and alarmed by the lack of reaction. He shakily gripped both ofMischel'lak's arms and stared into the blank depths of her eyes. "Mischel'lak! You support me don't you! You understand this cannot continue on."

Vnezeer sneered and made a swift upwards motion with his hand. Despite the gruesomeness of the Nekromantei's black arts in dealing with death, and continually facing the torment of imprisoned souls, even Saqqri'lak was horrified by the outcome. Mischel'lak's face and eyes liquefied into a vicious flow which oozed off her skull, leaving only a bone visage. Flesh and muscles left her bones and Michel'lak became apool of bloody, nauseatingmess upon the floor.

Saqqri'lak stared shocked, swallowing the vomit which had forced its way up to his throat. "Wh…wha…what have you done to her!" he gasped.

"Why, I unsssummoned her. Did you think I am as pathetic as you are? When I ventured to the tomb of Tal Rasssha I learnt the ultimate sssecret of undeath. Powersss even beyond your comprehensssion and imagination. I now revive the dead to living animation."

"Your actions are terrible. Seize him! He is a danger to our entire society! Why aren't you all doing anything?" Saqqri'lak moved towards Vnezeer only to find his way blocked by the Council.

"I have been asssasssinating all of your fellow Eldersss one by one, then reviving them to life ssso no-one will know the better. And now, I command the entire Council." Vnezeer laughed coldly,and then his expression grew grim and deadly. "Dessstroy him!"

Undead hands gripped Saqqri'lak's throat and lifted him up into the air. The Elders swarmed in towards him…

_

* * *

__phyls_ is Nekromantei word meaning "soul coffer" (container)which used to describe the lesser races such as humans. 


End file.
